Los Barriles

Los Barriles is a small town on the East Cape of Baja California Sur, on the Sea of Cortez between La Paz and Cabo San Lucas. Its position facing a stretch of coast that funnels strong winter wind has made it one of North America's classic windsurfing and kitesurfing destinations, popular with North Americans escaping the cold.

The winter "El Norte" wind is the draw. From roughly November to March, powerful northerly wind blows down the Sea of Cortez, side-shore to cross-shore along the beach, strong and remarkably consistent for weeks at a time. The open sea produces chop and moderate swell rather than flat lagoon water, giving good freeride, jumping, and bump-and-jump conditions. Water is warm relative to the season, and the desert sun is near-constant.

Steady, sometimes strong wind and open-sea chop suit intermediate and advanced riders, with beginners better served by lessons on lighter days; the town has a well-established windsurf and kite community, rental centres, and schools. The wide beach gives room to launch and ride.

Access is by road from Los Cabos International Airport, about an hour to the north, which makes Los Barriles an easy long-weekend or winter-season base. Beyond the wind, the East Cape offers sportfishing, diving at Cabo Pulmo's reef, and quiet desert-meets-sea scenery. With dependable winter wind, warm water, sunshine, and simple logistics from a major airport, Los Barriles is a fixture of the North American cold-season wind circuit.